All you hear about on the news. For instance CNN, Fox Network News, etc. have been pounding that subject into the dirt. Pro and cons all giving their two cents worth. I'm confused. I don't know what to think. Is this thing good or bad. How about your two cents worth ? I do hear that, let's say you need a new kidney or a by-pass it will be coming to the government actually telling you that you are too old past 65 to be eligible for one. Is this selective health care true? They say that it would be bad to have the government between you and your health policy. I personally, am on disablity with Medicaide as my provider. I have major heath issues and it is very costly, but EVERYTHING is paid by Medicaide (no co-pay ) 100 per cent ! My wife tells me I definately have the government between me and my health care. I suppose one thing different is they don't deny care because of age. My care is much appreciated by me from Medicaide. Couldn't survive without it. Two cents worth please!

That Herbert Kohl discertation didn't help me much because that is the exact rhetoric that the news is throwing at us by the pro health plan government bias. What about us doubting Thomases?I'd like to hear the general concensus of those here who contribute to our board, not government polititions.

It really depends what they end up doing. If they push to make private insurance more affordable and more available I'm willing to support the idea. If however, they push to include a government run insurance program that competes with the private insurance groups I begin to have some pretty major concerns.

I also haven't seen much discussion on the fact that we simply don't have enough doctors to see everyone in the US right now. I've also talked with people from Canada that don't think their system is so great. One person in particular mentioned that they still carry private insurance. It's great that they can just go see a doctor but for anything major he relied on the private insurance.

I think there'd be alot less hysteria and BS being tossed around if there would be a concise summary issued of the plan and how it would be funded. The rush to get something/anything approved before Congress went to recess (Recess? It sounds like grade school, doesn't it?) merely increases my distrust of the entire process. Will my health benefits available from my job be treated as taxable income? Will 59 1/2 & older folks be in a lottery for doctor care, transplants, major surgeries? Will Nancy Pelosi tell me which prescriptions Walmart will be "giving away" @ $4/month? Will benefits be extended to our Native American Sasquatch population as it will for illegal aliens?

See what I mean? It's almost a mirror image of the WI state budget dealings earlier this summer. We won't truly see how severely it impacts each of our bottom lines until a year has passed. An informed electorate would at least allow us the ability to know what to cheer & what to fear in this rumor-riddled nightmare of a "plan".

I've wondered how a new government health plan, if ever implemented, will affect health care providers. If there are currently not enough MDs to go around I can see there becoming more of a shortage with a government run plan. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be wanting to do what is in the best interest of the patient and not being allowed to by a government run plan. Would the government then dictate medical school curriculum in an attempt to have knew grads like minded to government policy. (Only certain age groups can be treated for certain ailments.) Is this the beginning of government brainwashing? Far fetched? Insurance companies have been doing it for years, particularly with dental. Patients believe that because their insurance company says so it's gospel. An example would be, if insurance doesn't pay for a certain step required to complete a dental procedure patients more times than not feel it must not have been needed and done unnecessarily. "My insurance says so." Try to explain to a patient that the insurance company doesn't have their dental (or medical) best interest in mind.

This selective health care according to age on certain procedures seems like a step closer to the concept of the book "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. What a book, what a concept, and to think it was written in 1932. Anyone that wants to read a book that may have insight into the future this would be a good one. Frightening to say the least!!!

Catfish wrote:If you are wondering where the "perceived" notion about rationing and selective care comes from, just watch the news and listen to what is being said.

You said yourself “All you hear about on the news. For instance CNN, Fox Network News, etc. have been pounding that subject into the dirt. Pro and cons all giving their two cents worth. I'm confused. I don't know what to think.”

I have been reading and watching the news and I read and hear constantly that it's going to happen, but not "why" it is thought to happen?

I don’t know if I am for or against this plan as I have more questions than answers. You and many others are happy with the health plan you have. I on the other hand am not happy with our plan, as an employee benefit 50% is paid by my employer. My 50% is $800/month, for a total group cost of $1,600 for a healthy family of 5. If we drop our employer plan I can’t find one for less than the $800 we currently pay, and I just cannot bring myself to go without health insurance. If what might come of this plan will be better, I’m all for it, but how do I know it’s better? How do I know that it will not be better?

Mia, I don't know what to think either. Sure I'm happy now with my medicaid disability but I'm afraid of the changes that may or could come from a new government plan. Right now no one knows what's coming, but that is why we should all question and speak up now or forever hold our tongue. It is said that we never know when it is too late until it is too late.

That is why Congress should inform their constituents of what is planned in the Administation's health care agenda. The less we know, the more unrest & discomfort there will be. These are the same jokers that ran your student councils in High School. Did you trust/respect them then? Would you buy a used car from them now?

Mr Obama, Members of Congress: Tell us what you intend and how you will pay for it before you force a vote "to get something done". Earn our trust by sharing information.

I would suspect that if you want a real good look at how government health care would be handled, talk to someone who receives their primary care from VA hospitals. And, keep in mind that these patients are supposed to be treated as "heroes".

A few questions I have is how are they going to pay for all this, and is it something that is going to get out of control like so many other Gov. programs.

When they talk about rising cost of health care just remember one of the reasons is that there are millions of illegal's that don't carry insurance that use the hospitals and doctors and have no money to pay for it. So who ends up paying is us through higher charges when we see the doctor or go to the ER. If some of this money that they are printing to cover everything else was used to solve the illegal problem a lot of the health care costs would be controlled. When are they going to step up and solve that problem ?

High payouts on frivolous law suites, tort reform would go a long way in lowering costs. When are they going to step up and do something ?

It seems that they are only trying to treat the symptoms rather than looking at the cause and trying to cure the problem.

I was bummed that my comment: Will benefits be extended to our Native American Sasquatch population as it will for illegal aliens? in a previous post generated no comments. Like my statement, the whole concept of National health care is a farce until we (Congress) states who is eligible, how is it paid for, & who pays for it? Once we know, MAYBE we will support it.

****, back in 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevada for tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it. They failed and it closed. Now we are trusting the economy of our country, our banking system, our auto industry and now our health care system to the same nit-wits who couldn't make money running a whore house and selling whiskey.

If you like the fact that Social Security is bankrupt, and that government is the only people in the world that pay $900 for a $12 hammer, or the fact the nearly 35 states and the US Government itself is nearly bankrupt....

If you like the fact that the US Congress is full of deadbeat dads, alcoholics, sexual perverts, thieves and liars....

If you are ok with the idea that these, and their appointed cornnies, are the people that will be deciding rather you or your child lives or dies....

Then I guess you probably won't mind turning the healthcare of you and your kids over to them.

Back when I worked for the Federal government the nonsense spread then was that it was $300 for a hammer. The GSA catalog had them for less than Fleet Farm. I think the conspiracy people had a toilet seat for $600. So a hammer is $900 now. Wow, that inflation is a killer!

If no real health care reform is achieved and the opponents win, it means we will continue to face about a 7% increase in medical costs per year as we do now, tens of milliion will remain with no coverage, and there will still be no means of controlling costs. So forget about the bogus myths being pushed by the likes of Limbaugh and Palin. In fact the insurance companies could use some competition. If we can't have a single payer system, then at least give us a public option.

The biggest problem remains the lack of Primary Care Physicians, something few seem to be talking about. If everyone is insured that means they're all going to get treatment. They aren't all going to be able to go to the doctors office so they'll hit the ER. The ER is more expensive so we'll all be paying it. We'll also have wait times similar to those in Canada where in some locations you have to wait long periods of time for treatment (and other locations you hardly wait at all).

neup99 wrote:I would suspect that if you want a real good look at how government health care would be handled, talk to someone who receives their primary care from VA hospitals. And, keep in mind that these patients are supposed to be treated as "heroes".

I receive my primary care from the VA and they do a very good job. I was saddened to hear the crap spewing from Hannity the other day about how the VA has its own "death panels". Yes they do ask if you have a living will or durable power of attorney made out or if you are interested but so did my private medical care provider.

I would prefer a Single Payer system so we all could have an opportunity to avoid the current redundancy and inefficiencies and cost increases. People seem to love their medicare (until the private interests brought in Part D), medicaid, etc.

We all know the government is not the most efficient organization around, when it comes to running things.

But.........why do we assume that private insurance companies are any more efficient?

Right now, today, over 35 cents of every health-care dollar goes to insurance companies. It doesn't pay for doctors. It doesn't pay for hospital services. It doesn't provide any health-care, at all.

In addition to that, it's estimated that 10% of a hospital's costs can be attributed to administrative costs of trying to get insurance companies to pay. Another 10 cents, out of that dollar, that doesn't provide any health care, whatsoever.

Are you adding this up? That means that nearly half of what we now pay, doesn't provide any care. Is this the "efficiency" that we're afraid of losing?